How to Hunger for God Again - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - November 21
Devotional Verse: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6, NIV).
Years ago, I was involved in a ministry where we would fast and pray together for specific periods. One particular time, we spent a week fasting on liquids only, leading up to a significant ministry event we were attending. By the time we arrived at the event, I was so hungry and tired that I knew I needed to sleep or eat if I was going to have any energy to make it through the weekend. We all chose to break the fast together after seven days with a large meal together that satisfied my deep hunger. Next up for me was a long nap before we made our eight-hour drive back home. I don't remember ever feeling that weak in my body and mind. If my body weren't longing for rest or a meal after not eating for a week or getting much sleep because of travel, we would think there was something seriously wrong with my health. It is healthy for your body to hunger and desire rest; This means your body is working correctly.
This type of desperation for physical sustenance is a reflection of what our spiritual hunger for God's things should look like. When we can go days, weeks, or, God forbid, even months without reading the Bible or praying, and we don't find ourselves desiring to seek the Lord and His righteousness, we need to pause and ask ourselves why. As a believer, this should concern us.
Jesus gives us a promise in what is called "The Beatitudes" in the Sermon on the Mount regarding those who hunger for the things of God. When we pursue the Lord and His righteousness, we will never starve; God will fill us with His sustaining life:
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6, NIV).
If we find ourselves no longer hungry for spiritual things, our spiritual health may be in great danger. We need to find out why we have stopped being hungry for pursuing God's Word and Kingdom pursuits. Have you stopped attending church or fellowshipping with other believers on a regular basis? Is your prayer routine on life support? If you are spiritually malnourished, it will begin to affect various areas of your life. We must abide in the Vine if we are going to bear fruit for Christ. Apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). We must become desperate to remain connected to Christ and His Word; His Word is the Spirit and life. Jesus says that those who are hungry for the Lord use kingdom pursuits to fill us and sustain us. This type of hunger cannot be conjured up in our own strength. We cannot make ourselves hungry; We need God's help and supernatural grace. We need to ask the Lord to stir our hearts, making us hungry and thirsty again for Him, so that we can mature in the Lord and be filled with His abundant life, which can overflow to reach others for His glory.
Have you reached a point in your spiritual journey with God where you may have grown complacent? Do you find yourself lacking the desire to pray or read your Bible? Have you been very consistent with fellowshipping with other believers? The Lord will help you get rid of distractions in your life that may have kept you from Kingdom pursuits. Social media and other forms of entertainment can quickly become spiritual junk food that fails to nourish your soul truly. God will help you prioritize these things in your life so that He is your primary focus, if you ask Him. Jesus has promised to fill us up with His abundant life. Let us long to pursue God, praise Him, read His Word consistently, and stay committed to the local church so that we can walk on His path of righteousness and mature in Him.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/doidam10
Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less
If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
